Headlight-adjuster.



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.HEADLIGHT ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1909.

Patented Nov. 21, 191 1.

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' l7vvezviorf vv v F. R. CUNNINGHAM.

HEADLIGHT ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILEDDEG. 7, 1909.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

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UNITED sCr TEs PAtrENro mon FRANK R. CUNNINGHAM, or MEDFOBD, MASSACHUSETTS, .assie'Non TO KENDRICK AND 'DAVIsC MrANY. or LEBANON, NEW-HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION or NEW HAMPSHIRE.

HEADLIGHT -ADJ'USTER.

To all whom it may concern;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Nov, 21, 1911 i Application filed December 7, 1909. Serial No. 531,845.

I g Figure *1 represents as much of the for- Be it known that I, FRANK C NNING- ward end of the motor carriage as is necesrLui, of Medford, in the county Of Middle sary to illustrate the application of my insex and State of Massachusetts, have" invention, together with the connections in vented certain new and useful Improvewhich the invent-ion is embodied. Fig. 2 60 ments in Headlight-Adjusters, of which the is a front View of the same. Fig. 3 is a defollo-wing isa specification. I tailed view showing in section the manner This invention relates to a means for adof mounting the headlight or lantern. Fig. justing the forward light or lights such as 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figs. are ordinarily used by motor carriages for 1 and 2. :Fig. 5 is a detail elevation, partly 65 illuminating the highway so thatwhen the in section, of one ofthe lamp-turning rods: steering wheels are turned preparatory to The same reference characters indicate driving the carriage around corners or the same parts in all the figures. bends, the headlights may be correspond- -Referring to thefidrawings the reference .15 ingly turned to illuminate the road into character 1 designates the forward "part of 70 which the carriage is about to turn'before the frame of an automobile or other motor the latter has actually been swung in the carriage. new direction. That is, when an automobile. 2 designates the steering wheels of the is equipped with headlights which are fixed same, which in this instance are the front in direction with respect to the body of thewheels as usual. 75 automobile, theywill not illuminate a 3 designates the headlights or search branch road or turnuntil after the auto lights of which there are usually two, armobile has been turned into the same, so ranged on each side of the front of the carthat until the carriage has actually been riage. turned the road or bendremains in dark- The steering-wheels are mounted in any '80 ness. As a means of preventing accidents approved or ordinary manner-so that they at night it is, of course, highly desirable may be oscillated laterally by any of the that the road or path which the carriage is steering gears in common use or adaptable Y to follow due .to any sidewise adjustment for the-purpose. The means for oscillating of the steering wheels should be illuminated the wheels shown here-consists of levers 4c 85 before the carriage has actuallydiverged fastened to the pivoted holders 5 of the from its previous direction of motion in wheel drivers andco-nnected with each other .order that obstacles or the like may be disby a bar 6. One of the levers 4 has an arm covered in time. I 7 receiving motion from the steering device Accordingly the'object of my invention is through a rod 8. 90 to provide in. connection with the motor The headlights 3 are secured to forks 9 vehicleand the headlights thereof a simple having shanks 10 which are rotatably form of adjusting means connected with the mounted in brackets ll secured to the frame steering wheels for giving lateral move '1 and constitute pivots or pivotal attachments to the headlights equal to and simnlments for the headlnrhts. The rotative en- 95 taneously with the lateral steering .movegagement between the brackets and lampments of the steering wheels. whereby the holders enables the latter to be turned from path which the carriage is to follow in conside to side. Such turning inoveiuent is sequence of such deviation of the steering given by the steering mechanism through wheels is immediately illuminated. rods which are pivotally connected both 1 0 Theinvention therefore consists inanovel with the lamp-holders and the steering connection between the steering mechanism mechanism. The connection of the rods and. the headlight or lights which will perwith the steering mechanism consists of lnit the necessary range of lateral steering arms 12 secured to the levers 4. with which movement of the wheels and will also comarms are associated clamps 13. the ends of 105 municate the exact amount of such angular such arms and clamps embracing the admovement to the headlights. jacent lcver'l. and having orifices to receive lrrthe accclnpanying drawings I have perforated bosses on the upper and lower illustrated a mechanism which exemplifies sides of the lever. At each and of the rod 6 the preferred embodiment of my invention. a pin or bolt 14, which connects the rod 6 1m to the corresponding lever, passes through the perforation in the embossed lever and through the arm 12 and clamp 13 associated therewith, which are also additionally secured together by a clamping bolt 15. This construction is employed in order to attach the apparatus to a carriage already completed,

A manufacturer putting out carriages equipped with the headlight adjuster would make the arm 12 in one piece with the lever 4. The lower end of the rod is connected to the outer arm 12 bya .universal joint 16, and its upper end is connected with the shank pivot of the lamp-holder by a universal joint 17. By virtue of these joints the angular movement of the wheel about its vertical axis is communicated in the same degree to the lamp independently of the linear movement of the connection between the rod and the arm 12. The intermediate rod is variable in length owing to the fact that the axes of horizontal oscillation of the wheel and lamp-holder are out of line, and in order to permit the necessary travel of the projecting end of arm 12. For this purpos the rod is made in two .parts 18 and 19,

which are connected respectively to the universal joints 16 and 17 and one of which slides longitudinally within the other in the manner of the parts of a telescone.

These parts are prevented from rotating.

independently of each other by any suitable means, such as a groove 19 on one part and a key on the other, or by making the part 19 of prismatic form and fitting it in a.

correspondingly shaped hole in the member 18. To the part 19 is secured an outer tube 20 which surrounds the part 18 and acts as a dustguard to exclude dust and grit from the inner member 19 of the telescopic rod.

It is to be noted that the oscillation of the lamp is due wholly to the rotation or 0scillation of the telescopic rod about-its own axis, due to the angular movement of the arm 12, and transmitted to the rod by the universal joint 16, and is not due in the least to the linear movement of that end of the rod which is connected to the arm 12. That is, as the arm 12 is oscillated when the steering wheel is turned to right orleft, the angular position of the pivot connecting the universal joint 16 with the arm 12 iscorrespondingly changed, and this angular variation is transmitted to the telescopic rod in the form of rotary movement of the latter about its own axis. The same degree of rotary movement is transmitted through the universal joint 17 to the lamp-holder, and in consequence thereof the lamp is oscillated in thesame direction as the steering wheel and through the same angle. Owing to the universal couplings at both scopic rod, the angular movement of the! ing road wheel having a this nut enables all ends of the telelamp-holder is independent of the linear movement of that end of the rod which is connected to the swinging arm 12, and thus the device herein shown is entirely independent of the length of the arm 12, or of. the combined length of-the arms 12 and 4, and can be applied to any vehicle. The telescopic rod might be connected to the wheel-holder 5 at the pivoted axis of the latter with like eifect, as far as transmitting oscillations to the lamp-holder is concerned, but for purposes of construction, it is more convenient to connect the rod to an arm extending from the wheel-holder. On ac count of the fact that the rod is so connected at one end to an arm and that its other end is connected to the lamp-holder at the axis of the latter, which isnot in line with the axis of'oscillation of the wheel holder, it is necessary to make the rod variable in length.

In order to secure freedom from looseness of the lamp-holder, and also to permit the latter to turn readily, it is provided with ball bearings at the .pointwhere it is mounted in the .bracket 11. Thus a shoulder 21 of the lamp hdlding stud or shank 10 rests upon a series of balls 22 contained in a' socket in the upper side of the bracket 11. A second set of balls 23 .is contained in a socket in the under side of the bracket; and supported by a washer 24 and a nut 25 screwed upon the stud 10. Adjustment of looseness in the bearing of the lamp-holder to be taken up without binding the latter "to such an extent as to prevent its free oscillative movement.

I claim- 1. In combinationwith a motor vehicle and the laterally movable steering wheels thereof, a lamp mounted with pro'vision for horizontal oscillative movement, an arm connected withone of said wheels so as to have lateral angular movements similar thereto, and an intermediate connecting rod having universal pivotal connection with said arm and a universal pivotal connection with said lamp at a point in line with the axis of oscillative movement otthe lamp, whereby it is rotated about its own axis by angular movements of said arm and transmits such rotation to the lamp.

2. In combination with a motor vehicle, a steering road wheel mounted with provision for oscillative movement about a vertical axis, a lamp secured to said vehicle with provision for oscillative movement about avertical axis and a connecting rod connected at its ends with saidslamp and said wheel respectively, and oscillatable about its own axis so as to communicate equal degrees of lateral angular movement from said wheel to said lamp.

In combination with a vehicle a steerconnection with nooaess said vehicle such as to permit angular movements thereof ma general horizontal direction, ,a'lantern mounted upon the frame-of otal connection with said wheel and with said lamp for transmitting equal angular movements from the wheelto the lamp in-v dependently of any linear movement of either end of the rod.

4. In combination with a vehicle a steering road Wheel connected therewith and movable oscillatively in a generalhorizontal direction, a lamp pivotally attached to said vehicle andalso movable oscillatively,'

. an arm connected with said wheel and having the same oscillative movements as the latter, and an extensible rod pivotally connected by means of universal joints with said arm and with said lamp-holder at a point in line with its pivotal attachment, whereby to transmit the angular movement of the arm to the lamp.

5. In combination with a vehicle a steering wheel, a h'older to which said wheel is connected mounted with provision for horifv zontal oscillative movement, an arm projecting from said holder, 'a lamp-holder independently mounted with provision for horizontal oscillativ'e movement, and a connecting rod of variable length having a universal connection with said arm and with said lamp-holder so as to permit linear movement of the arm andtransmitangular movements thereof to said lamp-holder.

6. In combination with a vehicle-a steer ing wheel, a holder to which said wheel is connected mounted with provision for horizontal oscillative movement, an arm projecting from saidholder, a' lamp-holder independently mounted with provision for horizontal oscillative movement, and a connecting rod consisting of two. parts, one of which slides telescopically within the other,

one of said parts being attached by a 'universal pivotal connection with said arm and the other part being similarly attached to said lamp-holder, and an outer tube mountt ed upon the inner part ,of saidrod and surrounding the other part thereof to exclude dust'from the telescopic joint.

mounted there0'n,.fa lamp-holder pivotally connected to said bracket, a ball hearing between said lamp-holder and bracket, means for adjusting said bearing to take up loosetween said rod and lamp-holder for trans mitting rotary movementsof the rod about wheel,"a holder for said wheel connected to the vehicle with provision for lateral said holder, and a universal pivotal coupling between said, arm and said rod for into rotary movement of the rod. about its own axis.

8. In a motor vehicle a steering wheel, a pivotally mounted holder by which said wheel is carried, and arranged'withprovision for generally horizontal oscill'a tiv e movement, an arm projecting from said wheel-holder, a second arm detachably secured upon said arm so as to havethe same angular movements as the latter, a lampsaid vehicle and movable oscillatively about an upright axis, and a connecting 'rod pivotally coupled to the pivot of said lampholder and to the outerend of said second named arm.

holder pivotally mounted on the vehicle, both holders being movable in a generally horizontal direction on their pivots, and means for transmitting equal degrees of oscillation from said wheel-holder to said lamp-holder, comprising a rod having universal pivotal connect-ion with both holders, the connection with one of said holders being in line with the pivot thereof. 10. The combination, in a propelled veand aspring-supported body,,of a headlight pivotally mounted on saidbody on a vertical pivot, and a connecting rod between said wheel and headlight for transmitting lat latter, said rod being freely variable in length, whereby it permits vertical movements of the ve icle body relatively to the wheels Without afiect-ing the angular position of the headlight. p

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses. 7. In combination wlth a vehicle a bracket Witnesses V J. H. BROCKWAY,

M. F; TARBELL.

its own axis to the holder, a steering road converting angular movement of the arm.

9. In a vehicle the combination of a steering road wheel, a pivotally mounted holder on WhlCh said wheel is mounted, a lamp-.

hicle, with a forwardsteering road wheel.

ness, arod, a universal pivotal coupling bef swinging movement, an arm extending from a holder pivotally mounted upon a portion of eral angular mot-ion from the former to the 1 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner in! Patents, 

